Allison just moved to a big city for a new job. She is still adjusting to its hustle and bustle. She isn’t specifically used to the daily traffic jam. Running on only four hours of sleep and skipping breakfast she went to work and blacked out.

Dialogue

Nurse: Hi Allison! You suddenly blacked out at work today and was brought to the clinic.

Allison: Yeah. The last thing I can remember was talking to my co-worker and I suddenly lost consciousness.

Nurse: Did you skip breakfast this morning?

Allison: Yup. I was in a rush because I want to avoid getting stuck in a traffic jam.

Nurse: You just had hypoglycemia or low blood sugar earlier that caused you to pass out.

Allison: It was my first time to suddenly black out.

Nurse: I suggest that you carry hard candies with you all the time just in case you’ll have another hypoglycemic episode.

Allison: I’ll take note of that! Thanks!

Nurse: You’re welcome.

Vocabulary

Black out

To lose consciousness, faint, collapse or pass out

She got so nervous that she blacked out.

Hustle and bustle

Used to describe a noisy surrounding, usually common in a city

She likes to hear the hustle and bustle of the city- the honking of cars and the busy pedestrian.

Traffic jam

The standstill of vehicles due to heavy congestion, road construction or accident

It is quite hard to avoid traffic jam in a big city.

Running on (something)

The use of something to function or work

Doctors and nurses can run on just a few hours of sleep.

Hypoglycemia

Low blood sugar level

She hasn’t eaten anything since this morning that she is already having hypoglycemia.

Comprehension

1.Why was Allison brought to the clinic?

a. She was lost. c.She was hungry.

b. She blacked out. d. She fell asleep.

2.To black out means the following, EXCEPT:

a. Collapse c. Faint

b. Pass out d. Collide

3. In which of the following places would the phrase “hustle and bustle” most likely be experienced?

Marie works in a home care facility as a nurse. She helps take care of geriatric people by assisting them in their ADLs or activities of daily living. Nurse Marie displays an exemplary performance. She takes care of her patients like her own family and she is commended for it. One of the patients under her care today is Mrs. Campbell, an eighty-one-year-old retired college literature professor.

Dialogue

Nurse Marie: Good morning, Mrs. Campbell! How’s your day going?

Mrs. Campbell: Not much, Marie. I’m just reading a Jane Austen novel to pass the time.

Nurse Marie: Oh, what’s the title of that novel?

Mrs. Campbell: It’s the one called, Emma.

Nurse Marie: It sounds interesting. I have only read Pride and Prejudice though.

Mrs. Campbell: It is! I can lend you this book.

Nurse Marie: That is so sweet and nice of you, Mrs. Campbell.

Mrs. Campbell: Oh, no biggie! You can actually keep the book. I’m old enough and might die a natural death soon.

Nurse Marie: Nah. Let’s rather not talk about that and celebrate life!

Mrs. Campbell: I’m just kidding. (Laughs)

Vocabulary

Die a natural death

Home care (facility)

Geriatric

Activities of daily living

Exemplary

Commend

Pass the time

Lend

No biggie

Die a natural death

Death caused by the natural aging process or due to old age, not by an accident or illness

Her grandpa was ninety years old when he died a natural death.

Home care facility

A home care facility is a boarding or residential facility usually for older adults who are recovering from an illness or those who need assistance in doing activities of daily living.

The residents of the home care facility are preparing for their upcoming Thanksgiving party.

Geriatric

Refers to older people, especially those who need special care

The residents of the home care facility are usually geriatric people.

Activities of Daily Living

Refers to the everyday activities that people normally do without any help. These include bathing, eating, walking, defecating/pooping, etc

Grandma Katherine has a poorly healing wound on her left foot. She also started developing fever and chills. She is a known diabetic and experiencing blood sugar spikesevery now and then.

Dialogue

Physician: Good morning, Mrs. Katherine. How are you doing now?

Grandma Katherine: Good morning to you as well, doctor! I’m still feeling kind of stressed because of my hospital confinement.

Physician: Rest assured that our healthcare team will take care of your needs during your hospital stay.

Grandma Katherine: Thank you, doc.

Physician: You’re welcome. By the way, I have a few things to ask you regarding your condition.

Grandma Katherine: Go ahead.

Physician: Can you still remember as to when your footulcer started to develop?

Grandma Katherine: Hmm…I’m not exactly sure, but as far as my rusty memory can remember it started some 2 months ago. It only started as a small sore, now it’s already the size of my palm.

Physician: We need to perform a debridement to clean your wound and I need you to sign a consent.

Grandma Katherine: What’s the prognosis of my condition?

Physician: We will observe the healing of your wound after debridement. If there is extensive tissue damage and life-threatening infection, it may be a bitter pill to swallow but amputation is our last resort.

Vocabulary

Spike

Every now and then

(Foot) Ulcer

Rusty

Debridement

Prognosis

Bitter pill to swallow

Amputation

Spike

To suddenly increase

Her blood sugar suddenly spikes after eating dinner.

Every now and then

From time to time

She visits her parents in Tennessee every now and then.

Ulcer

A cut or break on the surface of the skin

He was bedridden for months and pressure ulcers already developed on his back.

Mrs. Clark was brought to the hospital due to heartburn. She had her work-up done. She also underwent an endoscopy and she was a bundle of nerves while waiting for the physician to tell her the findings.

Dialogue

Physician: Good day, Mrs. Clark! Do you feel much better now?

Mrs. Clark: Hello, doctor! I feel a whole lot better, but I’m a bundle of nerves right now to find out the results of my work-up.

Physician: Oh, I understand how you feel, Mrs. Clark, but you need to hold your nerve.

Physician: As of now, we cannot really tell the gravity of your condition so we might have to run further tests to identify the root cause of your acid reflux. We have also already sent tissue samples for biopsy. Just stay calm, there’s no reason to fret.

Mrs. Clark: Thank you, doctor!

Vocabulary

Heartburn

Bundle of nerves

Hold your nerve

Endoscopy

Gastroesophageal reflux disease

Gravity

Acid Reflux

Biopsy

Fret

Heartburn

Burning sensation in the chest usually due to acid reflux

Anna experienced heartburn after eating dinner.

Bundle of nerves

An extremely nervous or tense person

I am usually a bundle of nerves before a flight.

Hold your nerve

To stay calm during difficult situations

She can’t hold her nerve during an exam.

Endoscopy

A diagnostic procedure/examination that involves viewing of an internal organ, specifically the esophagus and the stomach by inserting a tiny tube with the aid of an illuminated instrument (an endoscope)

The endoscopy revealed an inflamed esophagus.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease

(GERD)

A digestive disease wherein the esophageal sphincter (the ring of muscles at the bottom of the esophagus) relaxes and fails to close allowing acids and other stomach contents to backflow into the esophagus

I always experience heartburn right after eating. I feel like I have gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Gravity

The seriousness, severity of something such as a disease or a situation

The gravity of his heart disease was so severe.

Acid reflux

The backflow of stomach acids usually to the esophagus which causes heartburn

I had a bad acid reflux this morning after having coffee.

Biopsy

A medical procedure wherein a tissue is taken and sent to the laboratory to analyze the existence of a certain disease, its cause and extent